Forty Days
by Dragonfly-Moonlight
Summary: Tensions run high when the Sanzo party is stranded. Rating may change. Implied situations will occur.
1. Rain Clouds

1"There we go!" Hakkai smiled, tying off the last of their supplies to Hakuryu's trunk. "We're ready!"

"Is that everything?" Sanzo inquired, taking a drag from his cigarette.

"Yep!" Hakkai replied cheerfully. "Enough supplies to last us a few weeks."

"Or until the next village, with the way Goku eats," came the grouchy tone as Sanzo shook his head. The monkey youkai had an amazing knack for making food disappear. Taking it away or knocking it to the floor and ruining it was a good way to raise Goku's ire and fighting spirit, a fact that had not been lost on any of them.

"That, too," the green-eyed man chuckled. Sanzo then glanced to where Goyjo was apparently flirting with yet _another_ pretty female and where Goku was staring at meat buns.

"We're leaving!" he shouted to them then took his usual seat before either of them could call shotgun. Hakkai climbed into the driver's seat (not that he really needed to but then, Sanzo had noted, Hakuryu seemed to behave better when Hakkai sat behind the wheel), Goyjo and Goku quickly scrambling into the back end. As they took off, Sanzo turned to stare at Goyjo. The hanyou had been rather quick to leave the young girl he'd been flirting.

"What?" Goyjo snapped when he noticed Sanzo staring at him.

"You left that girl rather fast," the priest observed, taking another drag from his cigarette. "She married?"

"Huh?" the red-haired man blinked then shook his head. "Oh. _Her_. No . . . not married."

"Boyfriend?"

"Nope."

"Nun then?" Sanzo ventured one more time.

"No," Goyjo sighed. "None of that."

"Then why'd you leave her in such a hurry?" Sanzo inquired, morbid curiosity getting the better of him.

"No particular reason," Goyjo shrugged, lifting his head to gaze at the sky overhead.

"That's hard to believe," Hakkai chuckled good-naturedly.

"Believe it. Just didn't feel like pursuing it," Goyjo murmured. "It's going to rain."

Sanzo turned his head towards the sky as well, scowling when he saw the dark clouds coming in. Thunder rumbled in the distance and lightning flashed, but everything was still some distance away.

"Maybe it'll skip over us," he muttered, but not keeping his hopes up. Somehow, whenever it looked like rain, it always seemed to find him. He hated the rain.


	2. Washing Away My Sins

_Day One_

The dark clouds had moved in fast after that. Thunder had shook the sky as lightning danced in graceful arcs.

For a while, that's all that happened, the thunder and the lightning. Then the rain began to splatter on their noses, sporadically at first before becoming a torrential downpour. They were forced to take shelter in the trees . . . until the rain started to form puddles around their feet. The water made it impossible for them to make camp. Before too much longer, they had been driven onto higher ground and taking refuge in a cave.

'At least it's dry,' Goyjo thought as he stood at the cave's entrance. He pulled a cigarette out and lit it, watching as the rain drenched the world with its wetness. For a moment, he found a moment's worth of peace in watching the grey-ish clear droplets come down from the sky. Peace from his traveling companions, peace from their quest . . . peace from the world in general.

It was a peace that wouldn't last.

_Day Five_

"I can't believe this!" Goku cried out. "I can't!"

Sanzo fought back a groan as the monkey youkai's wail filled the cave. Five days had passed since the rains had started come down and had showed no signs of relenting.

And that left them with enough food for nine more days. After that . . . well, he really didn't want to think about that right now. Goku, however, had a different idea about the food situation, and it was grating on everyone's nerves. Sanzo's hand inched for the inside fold of his robe, his fingers grasping for his trusty paper fan.

Sure, Goku had gone five hundred years without eating and was justifiably hungry all the time. However, he wasn't the only one in the cave that needed to eat, either. Fortunately, for the monkey, Goyjo interceded for Sanzo. Unfortunate for the rest of the group, as it always led to a fight between the two. Sure enough, the insults were flying within a space of seconds.

"Shut up, you stupid monkey!"

"Water sprite!"

'They really need to come up with some new insults for each other,' Sanzo groaned to himself. He eyed the cave's entrance, noting Hakkai standing there, his tiny dragon resting on his shoulder. Ignoring Goyjo and Goku for the moment, Sanzo got to his feet and made his way to the melancholic youkai.

"Something the matter, Hakkai?" he inquired the moment he reached the man.

For a moment, Hakkai didn't answer. He just stared out at the rain, his expression pensive. Then he turned his head and offered Sanzo one of his usual cheerful smiles.

"Nothing worse than usual," came the reply. "Why do you ask?"

"You keep staring outside," Sanzo stated.

"Oh . . . yeah . . . just wishing for the rain to stop. That's all. It's not normal for it to rain like this."

"No," Sanzo agreed, his gaze going to the grey and wet world outside. "It certainly isn't."

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His companions had all fallen asleep, their soft breathing filling the cave while the rain continued to pour down. The fire had started to go down, the dying embers the only light and warmth to be offered. It would be a few hours yet until daybreak, though one could barely tell through the rain clouds.

'We're not going to last long if we don't get more firewood and food,' he thought as he crept as quietly as he could to the cave's entrance. 'They'll kill me if they know that I'm doing this but what choice do I have? I don't want to see them starve to death. I couldn't bear that.'

Visions of a small yellow bird danced across his mind as he walked to the cave's entrance. He remembered what it had been like to wake up that one morning and to see the bird lying on the ground, its body void of any life. The bird had been his friend when he'd had no one else and it had torn him up inside to see it there and unable to get to it.

There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for his friends. Goku knew that. If it hadn't been for Sanzo, he'd still be in that prison. And if it hadn't been for Sanzo, he'd have never met Hakkai and Goyjo. He'd never admit it but he'd be lost without them, even the half-demon. They were his family, the only ones that he could recall.

So he'd risk the rains to find the firewood and the food that they'd need. Anything to ensure that they'd survive. He'd risk Sanzo's wrath and his paper fan because he didn't want to lose them. Not ever.

'And maybe . . . maybe I can remember something from before,' he reasoned as he stepped out of the cave, the rain soaking him within moments. 'That's all I ask for. And for the rain to wash away whatever sins I may have done to have been locked away like that.'

Quietly, Goku crept along, searching for the firewood and food he and his companions would need to survive. He had a funny feeling that they'd be there for a while. Quite a while.


	3. Rain, Rain, Go Away

_Day Seven_

He was running out of cigarettes. Granted, it really was the least of his worries but it was what his mind had chosen to worry about. He had maybe about another pack or two left then he'd be out. It irritated him somewhat but he also took a small bit of comfort in the fact that Sanzo was also in the same position.

'Strange weather,' Goyjo thought as he lit another cigarette and gazed at the grey cast world outside their shelter. 'It hasn't stopped . . . so strange.'

"Hey, Goyjo . . ."

"What?"

From the corner of his eye, he saw Goku approaching him. The boy had a slightly apprehensive expression on his face. Goku stopped the moment he stood next to Goyjo and stared out at the weather. He opened his mouth to say something then immediately thought the better of it.

"Nothing," Goku mumbled. Goyjo raised an eyebrow at that.

"Nothing?"

"It was stupid . . ." Goku looked away.

"A lot of things coming from you are stupid," Goyjo teased, a light smile on his face. "Now spill it. What were you going to say?"

At his light tone, Goku blinked, as if shocked, then he smiled a little as well.

"Stupid water sprite," came the good-natured reply.

"That's better," Goyjo smirked. "Now what's bothering you?"

"I was just wondering when the rain was going to end. It's just so strange that it's been raining this long. But I know you can't answer that. No one can."

'I was thinking the same thing,' the hanyou thought as he took a drag from his cigarette. For a moment, he considered mentioning to Goku about the boy's excursions outside the cave at night. He knew what Goku was up to. They all did. However, they hadn't said anything to Goku about it. They'd talked about it when Goku had left one night and knew why he left the cave at night. It helped to know when their food supply had yet to dwindle away. There just wasn't much they could do to stop him.

As soon as he thought about it, Goyjo quickly dismissed it. The moment was peaceful. Hakkai and Sanzo were talking quietly and Goku wasn't doing anything to actually annoy him.

'Might as well enjoy the moment while it lasts.'

And that's how they stood for many long hours afterward.

_Day Eighteen_

"What do you mean you can't find them!"


	4. The Fear of Loneliness

_Day Twenty-two_

The atmosphere in the cave had become stifling, partly because of the weather but mostly because of the tension. Goku hated it.

What had triggered the fight, he wasn't entirely sure. All he recalled were shouting voices and many harsh words. Some of those words had been directed at him and they'd stung, but he'd done his best to let the words wash over them. The rain hadn't stopped, not in a few weeks, and they were still stuck in that damn cave.

How long they'd been in the cave, Goku was no longer sure. He just knew he wanted out and to be traveling again. The cave reminded him too much of the place where he'd been imprisoned for five hundred years. It had even started to have the same feel to it and it scared him. Not for himself but for his friends.

He'd lived five hundred years on his own. Goku had no doubts that he could do the same thing again, if such a thing were to force itself upon him. However, he didn't relish the thought of losing his companions. Sure, they were harsh towards him and often teased him but Goku had come to the conclusion that they did so because they truly liked him and cared about him. To lose them . . .

"Hey."

He nearly jumped at the sound of Goyjo's voice. He hadn't even heard the half-demon approaching him. Immediately, he wiped his eyes. For some reason, tears had started to form there and he'd failed to notice them.

"Hey," he muttered back, hoping that Goyjo hadn't seen his tears. Things were tense enough in that dank cave. The last thing he wanted to do was fight with anyone and that included the red-haired man next to him.

"You okay?" came the quiet inquiry.

"Fine," Goku replied somewhat tersely. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," the half-demon shrugged, pulling a cigarette out. Goku had a feeling it was the last one Goyjo had. "Just curious."

"Oh."

For a moment, they stood there in silence. The only sounds were those of the rain and of Goyjo lighting his cigarette. A quick glance behind him told Goku that Sanzo and Hakkai were still awake. Just not talking.

"Sanzo said you'd gone five hundred years being imprisoned," Goyjo finally murmured, breaking the silence and bringing Goku's attention back to the half-demon. "It's gotta be driving you nuts to be stuck here like this."

"You could say that," he replied cautiously. "It's a little better this time around. There's at least some food this time."

Goyjo chuckled at that, the first time Goku had heard anyone laugh in a while. Then the half-demon took another drag from his cigarette.

"Don't worry, you stupid monkey. This time won't be like the last time."

A light smile touched Goyjo's lips as he stubbed his cigarette out then pocketed it once more. The half-demon then ruffled Goku's hair before he disappeared back into the cave, leaving the monkey youkai to just stare at his back as he retreated. Goku then smiled a little himself.

"Yeah," he murmured. "I guess you're right."

Still, the image of that yellow bird wouldn't leave him alone . . .

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"That was a nice thing you did," came the soft comment. Goyjo glanced at the one who had spoken. Violet eyes gazed up at him. The half-demon merely shrugged.

"In a way, I can relate," he said, sitting next to the priest. "I know how I'd feel if I'd been imprisoned like that."

"You mean if you didn't have a woman to screw," Sanzo retorted.

"That, too," Goyjo agreed. "I won't deny it. It'd suck to be alone like that." His eyes traveled back to the hunched form of Goku. The monkey king had yet to move from his spot. He'd been there since the day before. "There's more to it with him, though. Something he hasn't told anyone."

"You think?" the priest muttered sarcastically before letting out a barely audible sigh. "Whatever it is, we can't pry into it. It has to be something he tells us on his own."

"Yeah," Goyjo nodded, leaning back. "He does."


	5. An Invitation Extended

_Day Twenty-three_

"Twenty-seven . . . Twenty-eight . . . Twenty-nine . . ."

Sanzo glanced at the mouth of the cave where Hakkai and Goku were sitting and fought back a growl of annoyance. The human-turned-demon was tossing small orbs of energy into the air as a way of amusing his pet dragon and the monkey, and the priest found the activity to be more annoying than amusing.

Then again, he and Goyjo were now officially out of cigarettes, and they were feeling the effects of withdrawal already. The half-demon paced in agitation and grumbled under his breath. His irritation, and Goku's monotone counting, fed into Sanzo's frustration over the current situation. The priest wanted to yell at them, to tell them to shut the fuck up and stop pissing him off, but he found he could do no such thing. He did not have the heart, really. Hakkai was keeping Goku entertained, and the entertainment as it were kept the boy from complaining about how bored he was and how hungry, too. Though, Sanzo realized, Goku hardly complained about their lack of food. Their predicament was dire, and he had soon discovered dwelling on his hunger only increased it.

Sanzo also understood the reason behind Goyjo's restless pacing. It was not just the nicotine withdrawal. Boredom was settling in the half-demon as well, and the priest believed this was the longest Goyjo had ever gone without sex. He was probably hungry, too. They were, simply put, fucked and fucked by the rain at that.

"You look like you could use a distraction," Goyjo commented, his tone low. He had glanced at Sanzo on one of his rounds and actually stopped moving long enough to say something. The blond snorted.

"I'm tired of mahjong," he said.

"So am I," Goyjo admitted, finally sitting down. "Not a lot to do in this hellhole."

"No shit, moron. So why'd you even say anything if it was that damned obvious?"

"No particular reason," Goyjo replied. His hands were twitching, Sanzo noticed, and he tilted his head. The half-demon always had a reason for saying something, even it was just to annoy the hell out of Sanzo.

"Yeah right," he muttered. "You've thought of something. What it is?"

"You really want to know?" the half-demon asked. An odd gleam shone in his crimson eyes.

'I'm going to regret this,' Sanzo though as he said, "Yes. I want to know."

"Well, I _did_ notice a darker, more secluded corner of this cave. We could always go there," Goyjo drawled out, the implication quite clear. Sanzo's eyes narrowed.

"Are you suggesting what I _think_ you're suggesting?" he demanded, lowering his voice so neither Hakkai or Goku could hear. The half-demon shrugged.

"That depends," he replied. "What do you _think_ I'm suggesting?"

"You're sick, you know that?" Sanzo growled. "Absolutely sick."

"So I've been told." Goyjo glanced at him. "You gotta admit, though, it's a distraction, something we haven't done before."

"A distraction from what? The fact we could die in here?" Sanzo demanded.

"We won't die," Goyjo murmured. "At least not in here. We're too damned stubborn for that. So . . . what do you say?"

"No. I'm not interested." Sanzo felt his cheeks burning.

"All right then. Suit yourself."

* * *

Hakkai cast a quick glance at where Sanzo and Goyjo were sitting. They both looked annoyed to him, and he chalked it up to nicotine withdrawal. Both men were out of cigarettes, having smoked the last of their reserves a day or two before. It was only a matter of time before their tempers exploded again. He did not think he and Goku could survive another bout of tantrums and fist fighting.

However, the two sat there, talking. Hakkai turned away.

'So far, so good,' he thought as the two continued to talk. No signs of hostility were apparent. Yet.

"Hey, Hakkai . . ."

"Yes, Goku?"

He returned his attention back to the monkey demon sitting across from him. The boy appeared so sad and so uncomfortable about something. He had for the last few days.

"Can . . . can I tell you something?"

* * *

"Have you found them yet?"

"Not yet. The rain is making things difficult. It hasn't let up in over three weeks. Don't worry about it, though, Kougaji. They'll turn up sooner or later. They always do."


	6. Dire Situations

_Day Twenty-six_

Sanzo shifted for the seventeenth time and adjusted his robes for the fifth. He could not get comfortable no matter how hard he tried, the material of his clothing felt like sand against his skin, he wanted a beer and about ten packs of cigarettes, and his ass ached in ways he never thought possible. The blond-haired priest stifled a growl and the urge to throttle the one responsible. Next to him, Goyjo lay on his back, his body stretched out and completely relaxed. The redhead chuckled, which caused Sanzo to glare ice daggers at the half-demon.

"You should try laying on your back," Goyjo suggested. "You might be a little more comfortable that way."

Sanzo snorted. Laying on his back was what had gotten him into his current situation, and he wanted to smack Goyjo for saying something. The half-demon was that much of a bastard.

Still, the thought of lessening his discomfort by stretching out appealed to Sanzo. The pain was more from sitting anyway, and he did not have to do anything more beyond laying flat. Goku and Hakkai were awake, which, for the most part, tended to curb the half-demon's sexual appetite. Goyjo liked to keep things private until his streak of adventure hit, and Sanzo had to admit such moments thrilled him. He just did not know why. Yet.

Sanzo also had to admit he no longer felt quite so tense since he and Goyjo had started their sexual explorations of each other. With something to distract him, Sanzo forgot about his worries and his lack of cigarettes. The sex even took his mind off the rain, which Sanzo found to be somewhat unbelievable and quite a feat. His memories of that one fateful night never left him alone, and they were keener when it rained.

Perhaps it had been because of Goyjo's past ministrations to his body and his mind. Maybe it was because Goyjo's suggestion made sense. Either way, Sanzo found himself sprawled out next to Goyjo, staring at the cavern ceiling.

Silence surrounded them, the rain creating an unusual cadence for Sanzo. He hated the rain. Too many bad memories were linked to and associated with the bleak weather, and it always set him on edge. The one person he cared about the most died on a cold and wet night . . .

Now, because of Goyjo, his memories of rain were not strictly terrible and painful. They were . . . oddly pleasant, and they were helping to keep him grounded now that he was out of cigarettes. The beer had not last a day after they had sought the cave out for shelter. The memories, though, did not lessen his annoyances at the current situation. Not for the first time, Sanzo wished the rain would just stop. One day of rain was bad enough. Twenty-six was torture.

"Sanzo, Goyjo . . ."

The blond lifted his head when he heard Hakkai speak. The other man appeared worried about something.

"What is it, Hakkai?"

"We're getting low on food. Again," the green-eyed man said. "And Goku's adamant about going out and finding some more."

"He shouldn't go out there alone," Goyjo stated. Sanzo detected a hint of worry in the half-demon's voice, and he could honestly say he did not blame the redhead.

"I agree. That's why I'm going with him. I thought you should know."

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Hakkai turned and stared at the cave that was serving as the Sanzo party's temporary shelter. He was a bit grateful to be outside, though not too happy about getting wet. Foraging for food gave him something to focus on, and Hakkai did not doubt Sanzo and Goyjo would utilize their time alone to their advantage. He just hoped they cleaned up after themselves when they were done. The last thing he wanted to do was explain to Goku why their temporary safe haven was starting to smell.

Then Hakkai sighed and shook his head. He was not _too_ worried about Sanzo and Goyjo, and the activities they engaged in while no one else was looking. While he and Sanzo cared nothing for the rain and the bad memories it brought, Hakkai could cope using meditation, and Sanzo could be distracted by Goyjo. Only one person concerned Hakkai a great deal, and it was Goku. Their shelter was turning into a prison for the youth, a prison he remembered all too well, and it was taking a serious toll on Goku's mental state. His concern for his young friend was the reason why Hakkai insisted he and Hakuryu joined Goku in foraging for food. He feared the youth would do something drastic with no one there to stop him.

Hakkai tore his attention from the cave and returned it to Goku. The youth stood four yards ahead of Hakkai, his head turning left and right.

"Which way, Goku?"

Without saying a word as he decided, Goku pointed . . .

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"Rain, rain, go away. Rain, rain, go away . . ."

Blue air surrounded the creature as it danced around and sang. It did not want the rain to go away. It wanted the rain to continue. The world below it lay drenched in water and sorrow, a pleasing sight for the creature. If the rains continued, no living thing – be it human, demon, or animal – would remain. The Gods would be without followers, and it suited the creature fine if the entire world died out and the Gods were frantic and dying because of its actions. Those fools were too high-handed, anyway, and they needed to learn. The world was not theirs.

There were only two people standing in the creature's way, and it did not know how to handle them just yet. It did, though, know their names, and it would be on its way to see them.

No one would miss Genjo Sanzo and Sha Goyjo, anyway.


	7. The Near Loss of Hope

Day Thirty-one

Goyjo stood at the cave's entrance, watching as the rain relentlessly hammered the world, and he scowled. His fingers itched for a cigarette he could not have because of the downpour, and he began to dislike the rain with a small amount of passion. He was also growing weary of being cooped in a cave for as long as the small group had been. He wanted to be out, to be on their way to stop the Demon Lord from being resurrected. They could not do what they were supposed to being doing stuck in a cave in who knew the hell where.

The prolonged stay was also taking its toll on everyone, not just Goyjo. Hakkai's mood grew darker with each passing hour, Sanzo was no longer even approachable unless he wanted a distraction from the rain, and Goku . . . well, he worried Goyjo most of all. the stupid monkey barely spoke to any of them, not even to complain about how hungry he was. Goyjo knew it was bad if he did not hear Goku complain at least once about his hunger. This silence from the monkey youkai disturbed him like nothing else.

"This is really starting to piss me off," he said to no one in particular. He hated the helpless feelings that were starting to overwhelm him and the general sense of despair permeating the cave.

"_So do something about it,"_ a little voice whispered. _"You're not exactly powerless. You're just . . . stuck. That's all."_

"Like what?" Goyjo muttered. "It's _raining_. By the time it stops we'll all be too weak to do a damned thing. We won't even be able to crawl out of here."

"_Perhaps you will. Perhaps you won't. The answer you seek is there."_

"Goyjo, are you all right?"

The red-haired man blinked then turned to see Goku standing behind him. The monkey youkai's face was an unhealthy white and gaunt, and his golden eyes were dim. It was not lost on Goyjo that the very spirit and life were being sucked right out of Goku, and his heart twisted at the sight. Goyjo nodded, noting the other demon's concern, and he reached over, tousling Goku's hair. He hoped to reassure both himself and the teen that things would be all right. Life just was not normal if Goku was not his usual hyper and annoying self.

"Yeah, just fine, you stupid monkey," he said in what he hoped sounded like a good-natured tone. The last thing he really wanted was to bring Goku down any more than what he already was. As he spoke, an idea came to him, and Goyjo offered Goku a smile. "In fact, I'm great. I've got an idea."

At this, Goku tilted his head. A bit of life flickered in the monkey youkai's eyes, but the teen remained cautious. A bit of a frown appeared on Goku's face.

"What kind of an idea?" he asked.

"You know how I have a corner of this cave to myself?" Goyjo replied. Goku nodded albeit with some hesitance. "Well, there are more than just that one corner. Maybe there's a way out of here through them."

"We've been here a long time," Goku pointed out. "Wouldn't we have found a way out already?"

"Not if the way out is small," Goyjo said. He turned away from the grey world beyond the cave and started to walk to one of the far corners. "Besides, we haven't been looking for a way out that's _inside_ the cave. Come on. It'll give us something to do until the rain stops."

"Okay . . . Goyjo?"

"What?" He paused and turned to stare at Goku.

"Do you really think the rain will stop?" Goku asked. He looked and sounded uncertain, and he very much resembled a child in those moments than the confident and somewhat competent fighter that he was.

"Of course, it will, you stupid monkey," Goyjo answered and without hesitation. He silently added, "Even if we have to make it stop."

* * *

Sanzo glanced up the moment he heard Goyjo and Goku talking, and he hoped like hell that the half-demon was not going to rile the teen. The last thing he wanted to listen to was the pair bickering over the most idiotic of things, even if it would give him some semblance of normalcy. Knowing Goyjo, Sanzo believed anything was possible.

Fortunately for him (and them), the two never started to argue. Rather, as soon as they finished talking, they walked to one of the far corners of the cave and started to search along the walls. What they hoped to find, the priest was not sure. Oh, he possessed a fair idea as to why the two were examining the cave walls Goyjo had already once spoken of his idea to find a way out inside the cave to the priest, but Sanzo thought the effort to be pointless, time-consuming, and a waste of energy.

Well, he did not believe the idea was completely stupid. Sanzo, in truth, wanted a moment to rest and to receive a break from the half-demon. Every chance he got, Goyjo was on top of Sanzo, and the two were writhing on the cave floor like a couple of wild animals in heat. While he admitted, if only to himself and NO ONE else and grudgingly so at that, he enjoyed the attention he received from Goyjo, there were times when Sanzo desired a little time to himself. It was nearly impossible since he was stuck in a cave with Hakkai, Goyjo, and Goku, and they had been there for at least a month at that, but Sanzo desired the moments alone all the same. The other three tried to give him some space every so often, but it was still not enough for him. They knew he disliked the rain, and it was driving him crazy that it was raining for as long as it had. The rain brought back painful memories for the priest, memories he did not care to have, and yet the rain brought to mind something Goyjo had said . . .

"I'm guessing Goyjo and Goku are going to try and find another way out of here," Hakkai commented. His voice broke into the priest's thoughts, startling him a little. In response and in an effort to not show Hakkai he had been startled, Sanzo grunted and shrugged.

"As long as they're quiet, I don't care what the hell they do," Sanzo replied. "Besides, there _might_ be a way out of here."

"And what then?" Hakkai murmured. "Even if we did find a way out, we couldn't really leave. The rain's keeping us here."

Sanzo said nothing to Hakkai's words. He, too, had thought the same thing when Goyjo first brought up the idea of finding another exit. The priest even pointed out the rain as the reason for why they were stuck in a cave in the first place. Then Goyjo said something that had captured Sanzo's attention, and the comment would not leave him alone, no matter how hard he tried to banish it.

"_There's something not right with this rain,"_ the half-demon had said. _"It's one thing for it to pour a couple of days here and there but for an entire month? That isn't natural. I don't care what anyone says. It isn't _normal_."_

"It's like someone's trying to keep us here," Hakkai said, which caused Sanzo to start. This time he did not try to hide it, and the other man tilted his head. "Goyjo said the same thing to you, didn't he?"

Numbly, Sanzo nodded, and he shifted a little. He lay on his stomach so as to give his ass a slight reprieve. While he enjoyed Goyjo's ministrations, he did not relish the ache and burn that always followed. Since their first time, he had not been able to become as comfortable as he wished to be.

After a moment or so, he sighed and gave up trying to find a comfortable way to stretch out. The cave's floor was hard and cold, and Hakkai's stare was not helping any.

"Yeah, he said something like that," Sanzo finally said. He kept his voice low so Goyjo and Goku would not hear him. They were getting along for the moment, which actually pleased the priest, and they were keeping themselves busy. It did not happen often. "And now that I think about it, it _is_ odd it's been raining non-stop for a month."

Hakkai's head bobbed up and down.

"It could be another attempt on our lives," Hakkai began in a thoughtful tone, "but at the same time, it doesn't feel like it is. It's like it's running a little deeper than that."

"Like someone's trying to drown the whole world, not just with sorrow but with actual rain," Sanzo added, his tone and his emotions dark and melancholic. Then he blinked at his own words. It _did_ feel, to him, like someone wanted to drown the whole world, not just with sorrow and despair but with rain as well, and it was not the Gods. They enjoyed the fact most humans worshipped them, even though they ignored the moral world for the most part. That left the questions of who would want to drown the world, why they wanted it done, and how they were able to accomplish such a feat.

"Sanzo, are you all right?"

It was not Hakkai who asked him but Goku. In front of him were Goyjo and Goku, and both men were watching him with concern in their eyes and on their faces. Sanzo thought he also saw something else in Goyjo's eyes, but he could not discern what it happened to be. He also wondered when Goku and Goyjo had approached him as he had not heard them walking towards him. The notion they could sneak up on him like that rattled Sanzo.

"I'm fine," he snapped, sounding harsher than what he intended. He could not help himself. He hated being startled by anyone, and he was grouchier than usual. His response caused Goku to flinch and look away. Goyjo, however, snapped right back at him.

"Forgive us for caring then," the half-demon growled. "The next time you pass out, we'll just leave your ass alone."

"I didn't pass out," Sanzo shot back.

"Actually," Hakkai interjected, "you . . . zoned out or something after you said it felt like someone was trying to drown the whole world. Your eyes were open, but you weren't saying anything else. You didn't even respond to anything I said until Goku said something."

"Do you really think that, Sanzo?" Goku asked before the priest could say anything more. "Do you really think someone's trying to drown the whole world?"

The teen's voice held an edge of steel, a tone that Sanzo had never truly heard from Goku before, and he found himself afraid of the monkey demon for the briefest of moments. Then the sensation passed, and Sanzo finally shifted himself into a sitting position. His ass protested the change, but Sanzo ignored the pain. He also did not get a chance to answer the teen.

"Considering it's been raining for nearly a month," Goyjo said, "I'd say it's very possible."

"Why? Why would anyone want to do that?" Goku cried out. His face was filled with anguish and anger.

"I don't know," the half-demon replied. "Just like I don't even know how it's possible, but it's happening all the same."

"So what do we do about it?"

"I don't think there's much we can do," Hakkai answered. "Even if we did find a way out of here, we don't know who's behind this or why. We wouldn't even know where to begin looking."

"I don't buy that," Goku all but shouted. "I _won't_ buy that. There's got to be _something_ we can do!"

"Settle down, you stupid monkey," Goyjo said. He was about to say more, but Goku did not give him the chance.

"But Goyjo!"

Sanzo fought back a groan. The last thing he wanted to deal with was a fight between Goyjo and Goku, despite the normalcy it presented. He was out of his cigarettes and out of beer, and his ass ached from the last time he and Goyjo coupled as well as from sitting on a cold stone floor. He started to reach for his fan. He would end the argument before it even started.

Goyjo, however, surprised him. Instead of continuing to insult Goku and rile the teen further, the half-demon raised an eyebrow at the teen and folded his arms. His tone was soft yet not allowing for any kind of nonsense.

"I said settle down," he murmured. "Just because we don't know who's behind this doesn't mean we're going to stay here and take whatever else is in store for us. That's not our style, and you know that. Now sit down and be quiet. We'll figure something out and put an end to this. I promise."

* * *

"Did you really mean that?" Hakkai asked. Goku had fallen asleep some time before as had Sanzo. Only he and Goyjo were awake, and they were standing at the mouth of the cave and watching the rain fall for the countless time in a row. Hakkai had not forgotten what Goyjo had said to the teen earlier. He simply wondered if it were possible for the half-demon to make good on his word.

"Did I mean what?" the half-demon murmured. His fingers twitched, as if he were trying to control some kind of impulse, and he sounded distracted. It was as if he were not truly there.

"The promise to Goku," he replied. "Did you really mean it?"

"Of course I did," Goyjo said. "He's just no fun when he's so mopey and not complaining about how hungry he is. He needs something to hang on to."

"I'm sure there's a reason for Goku's behaviour," Hakkai answered. He recalled the secret Goku had told him several days before, and it had been about his five-hundred year captivity. The revelation from Goku caused Hakkai to worry more for the teen than for his companions. They would at least die eventually. Goku would have to watch them do just that, and Hakkai was not sure if the teen could stand another emotional trauma such as that.

"I don't doubt that there is," the half-demon stated. "It couldn't have been easy for him to be stuck in a cave for five hundred years. Can't be easy for him to be here right now, either, and I don't blame him for wanting to do something. Hell, _I_ want to do something."

At those words, Hakkai tilted his head and raised an eyebrow at his friend. Sometimes Goyjo could be quite insightful, and it never ceased to amaze Hakkai when it happened.

"You don't blame him?" he asked.

"No." Goyjo shook his head. "I don't blame him in the least. Like I said, _I_ want to do something and get the hell out of here. It only makes sense Goku would want to do the same thing."

"What exactly did you have in mind?"

Both men turned to see Sanzo standing behind them. The priest looked as if he were ready to leave, but to where he intended to go, Hakkai could not say. He could not even begin to guess.

"I thought you'd never ask," Goyjo replied, smiling. "You sure, though, that you're ready to do this?"

To that, Sanzo shrugged. The half-demon's question, however, left Hakkai baffled. His two friends were not making any clear sense to him.

"Doesn't matter," the priest answered. "It's time to put an end to this rain."

With those words spoken, Sanzo cocked his gun, and Goyjo's smile grew wider. Suddenly, and for no real apparent reason, Hakkai felt as if he were no longer part of the discussion. Indeed, he felt as if they were not seeing him at all.

"Then let's just do that," Goyjo said. He turned back to face Hakkai. "Can you handle Goku while we're gone?"

"Gone?" Hakkai echoed. "Where are you going?"

"Out," Sanzo said, walking for the entrance. "We'll be gone for a while."

"Wish us luck," Goyjo added. He rose to his feet and followed the priest towards the darkened world beyond their sanctuary. Before he could comprehend what they were doing and react, Hakkai watched as his two companions disappeared into the silver-grey torrent bathing and drowning the world.


End file.
